Category Archives: Consumer affairs

Why I became involved with measurement matters

One of our readers has written to explain why he became interested in the campaign to complete Britain’s prolonged metric changeover.

Posted in Consumer affairs, Education, Health, Road signs, Science, Technical, Transport | Tagged , , | 14 Comments

Which? sees the light – and Panorama joins in

By an odd co-incidence both “Which?” magazine and the BBC’s flagship “Panorama” programme  have recently run stories on the scams employed by the big supermarkets to prevent customers from comparing “value for money” in their weekly shopping. However, despite their … Continue reading

Posted in Consumer affairs, General, Law | Tagged , , , , , | 16 Comments

Heading for the exit?

Problems of sovereign debt in the eurozone have seen the UK side-tracked in EU decision making, and, say some commentators, headed for the exit. Is this situation likely to impact on the UK’s stalled metric changeover?

Posted in Consumer affairs, Education, General, History, Road signs | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

Christmas approaches so reach for a mail order catalogue

One of our regular contributors has submitted a comment about mail order catalogues, even though he admits there is no Metric Views article to which it relates. We are happy to respond by reproducing part of one of several articles … Continue reading

Posted in Consumer affairs, General | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

UK house builders rumbled

Obfuscation is a handy tool for those who wish to improve the profitability of their business at the expense of the consumer. And often a good place to start is the use of measurements. Now a new report has placed … Continue reading

Posted in Consumer affairs | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

ASDA downsizes strawberries – brilliant publicity stunt

Reports in the tabloid media suggest that Asda has reverted to selling strawberries in “pounds”.  So what has really happened?

Posted in Consumer affairs, General, Law, Media | Tagged , | 62 Comments

Surprisingly balanced article in the Daily Mail

An interesting article about metrication appeared in the Daily Mail Online recently, describing the current situation reasonably well – but arguing that the current British mixture of metric and imperial measurements is actually a good thing since it enables people … Continue reading

Posted in Consumer affairs, Education, General, Media | Tagged , , , , | 22 Comments

Minister confirms business as usual

In response to letter from the British Weights and Measures Association (BWMA), the Minister of State for Universities and Science, David Willetts MP, has confirmed that there is no change in Government policy on the units of measurement in use … Continue reading

Posted in Consumer affairs, Law | Tagged , , , | 37 Comments

Bizarre 2/3 pint proposal to go ahead

Despite widespread ridicule, the Government has persisted with the previous Government’s barmy proposal to introduce a 2/3 pint measure for draught beer and cider.  Under the pretence of  “removing unnecessary red tape”, it has actually resisted calls for genuine deregulation.

Posted in Consumer affairs, General, Health | Tagged , , , , , , | 23 Comments

“Half of that mince, please”

Two little anecdotes illustrate the difficulties still being experienced by customers because neither the Government nor “consumer advocates” will try to help them adapt to metric units in the supermarket.

Posted in Consumer affairs, General, Law | Tagged , , , | 23 Comments